


A Christmas Tail

by dracsmith



Series: Holidays with Mekon [1]
Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Cat, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Holidays, it followed us into the tardis can we keep it, peri is a fashion victim of the 1980's
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-08
Updated: 2013-11-08
Packaged: 2017-12-31 15:46:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1033463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracsmith/pseuds/dracsmith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peri tries to persuade the Doctor to keep a cat they received as a gift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Christmas Tail

**Author's Note:**

> I don't remember exactly when I wrote this--probably in the mid to late 80's. It originally appeared in Merlin's Mixed Media Madness and was reprinted in Who Knows. 
> 
> Mekon the cat is named for a character in a series of original sf stories that appeared in local fanzines. The author of the stories also had a cat named Mekon who was a large red tabby. Any resemblance to the Mekon in the story is entirely non-coincidental.

"But Doctor, it was a Christmas present!"

"I don't care. It's going back. Now!"

"But I thought you liked cats."

"Cat? That? That, my dear Peri, is not a cat, it is a behemoth. Leviathan!"

"It's a kitty and I want to keep it." Peri shifted the huge red-tabby cat in her arms to a more comfortable position. It snuggled its head and paws over her shoulder and let her scratch behind the ears. "Aren't you a good Mekon, yes, you want to stay with us, don't you, Mekon?"

"Mekon? You said his name was Mekon?"

"Yes. I think it's a cute name. Doesn't he look like a Mekon?"

"Not only a Mekon, the Mekon. Delightful chap. I'll have to introduce you sometime." The Doctor sighed. "Well, I suppose we can keep him till morning. But then he goes straight back!"

Peri grinned as soon as the Doctor turned his back. If he kept Mekon for a night, she was sure he would never make her take him back. He was such a sweet kitty! He was happily kneading her costume. Ooh, that wouldn't do. Peri was dressed as a Christmas elf and the velour was rapidly shredding under the cat's claws. "Doctor, I'm going to go change," she called, heading toward the door into the interior of the TARDIS.

The Doctor, setting course coordinates, only half heard her. "You know," he mumbled, "Romana did that once, and she was never the same since." Then he straightened up as it came home to him that Peri and Mekon were leaving the room. "Ohhh, no, you don't. The beast stays here. If you let him go in the TARDIS we'll never get him out."

Peri looked innocent. "Why, Doctor, I never thought of that." She put Mekon down.

"I'm sure," said the Doctor. He signed as she left. Mekon, nosing his way around the control room, bumped into the hat rack, whose fearsome predecessor had struck terror into the hearts of the Plantagent's men. The current model had no such power over the intrepid beast and it soon crashed to the floor. The Doctor growled. Picking up Mekon, he set the four fat paws on the safest part of the console and returned to his calculations. Mekon sat still and watched him for all of about two seconds and then decided to explore.

His first step opened the door to the outside. The second caused the lights to flicker. A wave of his tail brought the configuration computer gliding elegantly up out of the console, frightening him into a sideways leap. He landed in the Doctor's arms, scrabbling for a hold. The Doctor closed the door to the outside and tried to get a grip on the squirming feline.

Just then Peri came in. She wore a large blue and yellow Hawaiian print shirt over black stirrup pants with yellow ankle boots. Matching chunky shell earrings and necklace completed the ensemble. "Isn't this great, Doctor?" she said, pirouetting for him like a model. "I want to keep up with Earth styles." The Doctor groaned quietly. "Hey, I knew you'd fall for Mekon! Look at you, you're just a big old softy."

"Are you referring to me or this--entity?" Peri was smart enough not to answer. "In the five minutes he has been here he has wrought total havoc!" The Doctor looked at Mekon and then at the console. Suddenly he smiled.

Peri did not like the smile. "D-Doctor--what are you going to do with him?"

"Why, nothing, dear girl, nothing at all. Except this!" The Doctor sat Mekon on the central column--where he used to put his hat--and threw the dematerialization switch. Mekon looked down as his seat was suddenly elevated into the air. "Look at that! I've finally put some fear into him!" Mekon yawned. "See? He's gaping in terror!" Mekon stretched. "Testing his reflexes in this unnerving situation!" Mekon curled up and lay down. "Aha! Retreating into a defensive posture!"

A loud humming sound filled the control room. The Doctor began checking the controls frantically, temporarily forgetting his "victory" over the cat. Peri began laughing.

"Doctor!"

"Quiet, Peri, I'm trying to find out what's wrong with the TARDIS!"

"Doctor--"

"Hush!"

"Doctor, Mekon's purring!" The Doctor looked up at the sleeping cat snuggled into a happy ball on top of the central column.

"I admit defeat," he said gloomily and switched off the dematerialization process. Mekon came to a halt at console level again. The Doctor grumped and fussed without actually saying anything.

"Oh, Doctor," said Peri reprovingly. "He's just a little kitty-cat. Good Mekon!" She leaned across the console to pet him. The movement set her earrings swinging. Two yellow eyes suddenly came alert, and an orange and white paw launched a sneak attack. Bat!

"Mekon!" Peri pulled away. Mekon caught her necklace. It broke, scattering shells everywhere. Trying to disentangle his claws from the remains of the string, Peri stumbled backwards and tripped, landing in a heap on the TARDIS floor with a fat orange-and-white cat sitting smack on her stomach. The Doctor was doubled up with laughter. Mekon lay down cozily on Peri's chest and began licking her face.

The Doctor came over and scooped up the cat. Tucking him gently under one arm, he reached down with his free hand to help Peri to her feet. The loud humming sound began again and somehow the Doctor found himself scratching Mekon under the chin. Then he smiled and said, "Yes, Peri. We can keep him."


End file.
